Oven Baked Beef Barbacoa
If you're craving a rich and flavorful meal, this Oven Baked Beef Barbacoa is perfect. Tender beef chuck roast is slow-cooked in a smoky chipotle sauce, creating a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a deep, complex flavor from spices, lime juice, and a touch of cocoa powder! Best of all, it’s an easy, low-maintenance recipe that will have everyone coming back for more.
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast cut into chucks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1 yellow onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup water or broth
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. In a blender or food processor, combine the yellow onion, garlic cloves, chipotle peppers in adobo, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, water, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, ground cloves, and cocoa powder. Blend until smooth.
- In a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef chunks in batches to avoid overcrowding. Sear each side of the beef until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Pour the blended sauce over the beef, ensuring all the pieces are coated. Add the bay leaves on top.
- Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bay leaves. Use two forks to shred the beef directly in the pot, mixing it with the sauce.
- Serve the barbacoa with your favorite sides such as tortillas, rice or a fresh salad. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
The longer the beef cooks, the more tender it becomes. The 3-4 hour cooking time is essential for that perfect shreddable texture. If you check on the beef and it is not easily shreddable, it needs to cook longer!
Tried this recipe?Mention @uncomplicatedchef or tag #uncomplicatedchef!